Taking Rukmini Devi Arundale’s legacy forward

Considered as the most important revivalist of Bharatanatyam, Rukmini Devi Arundale was born on a leap year day on February 29, 1904. This being a leap year, it’s a double whammy for the alumni of Kalakshetra. On the occasion of her 116th birth anniversary celebrations, two senior teachers of Kalakshetra Foundation, who learned Bharatanatyam from Rukmini reminisces about their athai (that’s how they fondly call her).  

Born on 25 April 1942 in Kunhimangalam village in Kerala, Arayambath Janardhanan received his training in Kathakali under his father, TK Chandu Panikkar and in Bharatanatyam under Rukmini Devi Arundale. He joined Kalakshetra at the age of 14. From then on, he considered and worshipped Rukmini Devi as his mother.

“The first thing athai told me when I met her was that I am not only my father’s son but also her son. She also told me that I could meet her whenever I feel lonely inside the campus. Her words were more than a consolation for a 14-year-old. Looking back, my formative years in Kalakshetra, hanging out with athai was the best period of my life,” says Janardhanan.

Not only a connoisseur of Bharatanatyam, but Rukmini was also an animal welfare and rights activist. She devoted her life to the benefit of human beings and animals. “Her contribution to the field of dance was not just the revival of Bharatanatyam but also the production of dance drama based on Indian classical literature. This gave the art form a fresh dimension. Composing dance dramas was one of the major activities of Kalakshetra then. According to her, the sole aim of dance was to create beauty. Being an illustrious person, she was looking for beauty in everything. Not only dance, but she also respected and adored all the Indian classical art forms,” he tells DT Next.

Rukmini Devi was the first woman to popularise Bharatanatyam without spoiling its sanctity. According to her, art should be presented without vulgarity and education should be provided without fear. “Now, the current generation has to nurture and take forward athai’s dreams,” remarks the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner.

What attracted NS Jayalakshmi to Bharatanatyam was Rukmini Devi’s divine dance performances.  After seeing her perform, Jayalakshmi enrolled at Kalakshetra to learn Bharatanatyam. “Athai could create an incredible impression and impact on people who are unaware of dance. That ability attracted me to learn dance. I belonged to the third batch who learned Bharatanatyam from her. I come from a family of academicians and was allowed to learn the dance on one assurance — that I study privately and do well in academics!” says Jayalakshmi.

Dance couples Shanta and VP Dhananjayan, Krishnaveni Lakshmanan, CK Balagopal, Leela Samson, Indira Bora, and V Gayathri are a few disciples of Jayalakshmi. “Not only dance, athai taught us many things in life. We won’t feel like she is preaching or anything. It was a great learning experience for me. Athai always says that Kalakshetra is her baby and she doesn’t want to stay away from the institution. That was the reason she turned down the post of President of India that was offered to her by Morarji Desai,” she muses.